[quote]MementoMori wrote:
I won’t help at all unless it stops moving up. Then I’ll give a nudge, see if that got past the sticking point. If it didn’t one more nudge. At that point I’ll help him lift it and rack it immediately for him. I hate people who think spotting is really deadlifting.[/quote]
Id call you an asshole. If somoene is bench pressing heavy weight, once the weight stops moving the set is DONE. If you think I can press 335 3 times then get it going for a 4th rep then have the rep stop THEN have you come in to help and actually be able to complete the rep, youre crazy. Assuming my 2rm is about 355.
But Id also tell you ahead of time to apply enough pressure and only enough pressure to keep the bar moving in the positive direction. Letting the bar stop is not helping the person and is only risking injury. So you wouldnt make the mistake if you were spotting me. [/quote]
What is a shame is that you have to conduct an instruction session to get a spot today. The purpose of spotting is to assist in an overload. Done properly the lifter is almost un-aware it is taking place. Used appropriately it is a very effective techique for developing size and strength. In the non-commercial environment the serious lifters all know who we can ask for a spot and who the ‘candy-asses’ are. Learning how to spot correctly is part of ‘paying your dues’.
To the OP…when using ‘Rest-Pause’ the lifter should get more than 1 +1 on the second step if the starting weight is correct, and yes he would have been stapled by the first rep of number three. It’s a tough spot to be in, but I would have finished spotting the set.
[quote]SSC wrote:
Ya, totally surprised as some of the responses here.
I never spot someone without asking how they want it done - liftoff, when they reach failure, etc. and reciprocate the same information back out.
And ya, correct spotting etiquette is just that - SPOTTING them, not not helping them and simply basically just watching them lift weights.
Makes sense given the responses though. So many guys in my gym act like it’s such a big fucking deal to hook a brother up with like 20 seconds of their time. [/quote]
Yeah, I understand where you’re coming from. For me, the vast majority of the times I’ve been asked for a spot, the person didn’t know WTF they were doing…so I’m pretty disinclined to give a spot these days unless I know the person.
But I’ve almost always trained at shitty university and/or commercial gyms… so that probably explains that. If one of the 3-5 guys who knows what they are doing at my gym asked for a spot, I’d give one.